Pin-type vessel closure connector

ABSTRACT

A pin-type vessel closure connector for connecting a vessel head or closure to a vessel shell or cylinder, wherein the connector includes an annular yoke welded to one part of the vessel, preferably the shell, and an annular connector finger on another part of the vessel, preferably the head, which yoke and finger are interfitting and are joined together by a plurality of circumferentially disposed releasable connector pins, and wherein a rocking seal is provided for sealing between the innermost ring of the yoke and the finger to maintain the seal during flexing thereof in response to varying pressures in the vessel.

United States Patent 1191 Pechacek Dec. 25, 1973 PIN-TYPE VESSEL CLOSURECONNECTOR 2,496,677 2/1950 Reedy 220/73 1,671,138 5/1928 Tiley 220/73[75] Invent f i Pechacek, mus/t0, 2,634,880 4/1953 Grauatt 220 73 [73]Assignee: Hahn & Clay, Houston, Tex. Primary Examiner-Samuel RothbergAssistant Examiner--Allan N. Shoap [22] filed: 1972 Attorney -Pravel,Wilson & Matthews [21] Appl. No.: 217,827

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U 8 Cl 220/46 P 220/5 A 212055 Y A pin-type vesselclosure connector for connecting a [5]] 1365:! 53/00 A 27mg vessel heador closure to a vessel shell or cylinder, [58] Fieid 220/46 i 46 P, 5 Awherein the connector includes an annular yoke 22O/75 78 55 J 55 k 55welded to one part of the vessel, preferably the shell, 5, 5 no and anannular connector finger on another part of the vessel, preferably thehead, which yoke and finger [56] References Cited are interfitting andare joined together by a plurality of circumferentially disposedreleasable connector UNITED STATES PATENTS pins, and wherein a rockingseal is provided for sealing 3,459,325 Kl'lOdlBl' et a1. R between theinnermost ring of the yoke and the finger 3 g g z 2 to maintain the sealduring flexing thereof in response 3623 740 11/1971 1122513231: 111....277 3 to varying pressures in the vessel 2,953,276 9/1960 Dunn 220/5 A 5Claims, 2Drawing Figures 14' j ma /0 /Z 20 6 I 1 20a 1 Z :5

7 i 0 ,JV 6/ PIN-TYPE VESSEL CLOSURE CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The field of this invention is pin-type vessel closureconnectors.

ln U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,828, a pin-type vessel closure connector isdisclosed wherein a large number of annular fingers interfit, forming arelatively thick connection, and with inner surface of the innermostfinger being substantially flush with the internal surface of the otherconnector member, whereby a seal therebetween was effected with a ringhaving an outer surface of the same diameter.

U. S. Pat. No. 3,339,787 discloses a rocking seal for sealing at one endof a vessel or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a new andimproved pin-type vessel closure connector wherein one connector memberis an annular yoke and the other connector member is an annular fingeradapted to interfit with the yoke for connection therewith by connectorpins. The connector is sealed by a rocking seal which is maintained eventhough there may be unequal diameter changes or flexing of the connectormembers as a result of pressure and/or temperature changes internally ofthe vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a cross-sectional view ofthe end portion of a pressure vessel, showing only a portion of a vesselshell together with a vessel head or closure which is connected theretoby the connector of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detailed view taken from the circular portion ofFIG. 1 and illustrating the connector of this invention in detail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, the letter Sdesignates generally a vessel shell or cylinder which may be made of asolid wall or multi-layers. A head or closure H which also may be ofeither a solid or multi-layer construction, is connected to the shell orcylinder S by a connector C of this invention. As will be more evidenthereinafter, the connector C provides for a releasable connection of theclosure or head H to the cylinder or shell S and at the same time, afluid seal is provided internally of the connector C and forms a partthereof for preventing any leakage from the vessel, even though theparts of the connector C may flex or change in dimensions due to changesin pressure and/or temperature.

' Considering the invention more in detail, the connector C includes anannular yoke which is welded at an annular weld 10a to the seal orsimilar metal of the shell S. The yoke 10 has an inner annular yokefinger 11 and an outer annular yoke finger 12 which are spaced radiallyapart to provide an annular yoke recess 14 therebetween.

The annular yoke recess is adapted to receive an annular connectorfinger 20. The connector finger is welded at an annular weld 20a to thehead H. The radial width of the yoke recess 14 is substantially equal tothe thickness of the connector finger 20 so that the outer surface 20bof the finger 20 is in metal-to-metal contact with the inner surface 12aof the outer yoke finger 12, and the inner surface 20c of the finger 20is in metal-to-metal contact with the outer surface 11a of the inneryoke finger 11. Because of such metal-tometal contact between thefingers ll, 20 and 12, circumferential stresses are transmitted andcarried by all of the fingers.

For connecting the fingers 11, 20 and 12 together for also carrying thelongitudinal stresses imparted thereto by reason of pressure within thevessel, a plurality of connecting pins 25 of any suitable configurationare disposed in sets of aligned radial openings 12b, 20a and 11b. Thepins 25 are' preferably alternately staggered so that there are aplurality of circumferentially disposed pins 25 in a first plane andanother group of pins 25 circumferentially disposed in another planeparallel thereto. The number of pins 25 will vary, depending upon thediameter of the connector C, but in the usual case there will be fromabout ten. to twenty pins25 in each of the planes. When the vessel ismounted vertically rather than horizontally as shown in the drawings,there is no need for any external retainer for the pins 25, but anannular ring or clamp may be utilized for holding the lower pins 25 fromfalling out of their respective holes when the vessel is in thesubstantially horizontal position, unless a very tight fit isaccomplished. The pins 25 may be inserted and removed manually, or withany suitable apparatus of known construction (not shown). Also, itshould be understood that the pins 25 may all be in the samecircumferential plane rather than being staggered as illustrated in thedrawings.

Since the fingers ll, 20 and 12 are in a close fit and are subjected tothe circumferential stresses, they may tend to flex or shift withrespect to each other, particularly when the pressure and/or thetemperature of the fluid within the vessel changesA rocking seal isprovided with the closure connector C of this invention to maintain aseal between the innermost yoke finger 11 and the connector finger 20 soas to maintain such seal even though there is a flexing or shifting ofthe fingers relative to each other. Thus, the seal.50 includes anannular metal ring having a first portion 51 and a second portion 52 ofdifferent outer diameters. The first annular portion 51 has an O-ring 53mounted therein for forming a seal with an inner annular surface 11c ofthe finger 11.

A second O-ring 55 is mounted in the external surface of the secondannular portion 52 of the seal 50. It contacts either the inner surfaceof the finger 20 or the inner surface of an annular weld deposit 57 onthe inner surface 20e of the finger 20. Normally, the weld deposit 57 isa stainless steel deposit which provides an anti-corrosion inner surfacefor the finger 20. Anticorrosion paint is also preferably provided onthe inner surface 20c up to the weld deposit 57. Such anticorrosionpaint is not suitable for use in conjunction with the seal 50 since theflexing of the seal 50 tends to cause a cracking and removal of theanti-corrosion paint.

The seal 50 is preferably secured to the weld deposit 57 by a pluralityof retaining bolts or screws 60 which extend through the annular portion52 and are threaded into a tapped opening 570 in the weld deposit 57.Such bolts or screws 60 prevent a longitudinal shifting of the seal 50,but they do not interfere with the rocking action'thereof.

The rocking action of the seal 50 occurs at a rocking surface 58 whichis an annular surface between the annular portions 51 and 52. Thesurface 58 is preferably inclined or curved and it preferably engages arounded annular corner 11d on the finger 11. The bolts or screws 60maintain the seal 50 in position so that there is a rocking contactbetween the annular rocking surface 58 and the annular curved surface11d. lt will be appreciated that other means may be provided formaintaining such contact between the surfaces 58 and 11d and in somecases the bolts 60 may be omitted.

In the operation or use of the connector C of this invention the head His initially assembled with the shell S by inserting the annularconnector finger 20 into the recess 14 between the yoke fingers l1 and12. The sets of openings in, the fingers ll, 20 and 12 are then alignedso that the pins 25 are inserted for retaining the fingers in theassembled position. When thus assembled, the connector C carries bothcircumferential and longitudinal stresses which result from the pressurewithin the vessel.

As changes in the pressure or temperature occur within the vessel, theseal 50 may rock or shift about the rocking surface 58 and the annularsurface 11d to maintain the O-rings 53 and 55 in constant sealingcontact at all times so that leakage or loss of fluid under pressurefrom the vessel at the connector C is prevented.

When it is desired to remove the head H from the vessel, the connectorpins 25 are removed manually or with any suitable apparatus, aspreviously noted, and then the head H may simply be moved so as to pullthe finger 20 from the recess 14. The seal ring 50 is preferablymaintained with the head H by the bolts or screws 60. Therefore, uponreassembly of the head H is the shell S, the ring 50 is reassembled intoits sealing position'shown in the drawings at the same time as thefinger 20 is positioned in the annular yoke recess 14.

Although the invention has been illustrated with the yoke welded to theshell S, and with the single annular finger welded to the head H, thesecan be reversed.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention areillustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size,shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustratedconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A vessel closure connector, comprising:

a first connector member adapted to be welded to a vessel shell;

a second connector member adapted to be welded to a vessel closure;

at least one of said connector members being an annular yoke having apair of annular yoke fingers with an annular recess therebetween;

the other of said connector members being an annular connector fingeradapted to fit closely within said annular recess for establishingmetal-to-metal contact between all of said fingers;

a plurality of substantially radially aligned holes through all of saidannular fingers and spaced circumferentially;

a connector pin disposed in each of said aligned radial holes forretaining said fingers connected and inter'fitting;

an annular rocking seal having sealing contact with the inner surface ofthe innermost yoke finger and with the inner surface of said annularconnector finger for maintaining a seal therebetween even though thereis relative flexing therebetween; and

said annular rocking seal having a first annular portion ofa largerdiameter than a second annular portion, and an O-ring seal on each ofsaid annular portions, with one seal for sealing engagement with thesurface of the finger in proximity thereto and the other seal forengagement with the inside of the vessel shell.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said annular rocking seal has an annular rocking surface formed betweensaid first and second annular portions; and

one of said fingers has an annular curved surface engageable by saidrocking surface to facilitate rocking action by said seal.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1, including:

means for securing said rocking seal to one of said innerfingers tolimit longitudinal shifting thereof from its sealing position.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1, including:

an annular weld deposit on the inner surface of one of said innerfingers; and

one of said O-rings being in sealing engagement with said weld deposit.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, including:

means for securing one of said annular portions of said rocking seal tosaid annular weld deposit to limit longitudinal movement of said sealrelative to said fingers.

1. A vessel closure connector, comprising: a first connector memberadapted to be welded to a vessel shell; a second connector memberadapted to be welded to a vessel closure; at least one of said connectormembers being an annular yoke having a pair of annular yoke fingers withan annular recess therebetween; the other of said connector membersbeing an annular connector finger adapted to fit closely within saidannular recess for establishing metal-to-metal contact between all ofsaid fingers; a plurality of substantially radially aligned holesthrough all of said annular fingers and spaced circumferentially; aconnector pin disposed in each of said aligned radial holes forretaining said fingers connected and interfitting; an annular rockingseal having sealing contact with the inner surface of the innermost yokefinger and with the inner surface of said annular connector finger formaintaining a seal therebetween even though there is relative flexingtherebetween; and said annular rocking seal having a first annularportion of a larger diameter than a second annular portion, and anO-ring seal on each of said annular portions, with one seal for sealingengagement with the surface of the finger in proximity thereto and theother seal for engagement with the inside of the vessel shell.
 2. Thestructure set forth in claim 1, wherein: said annular rocking seal hasan annular rocking surface formed between said first and second annularportions; and one of said fingers has an annular curved surfaceengageable by said rocking surface to facilitate rocking action by saidseal.
 3. The structure set forth in Claim 1, including: means forsecuring said rocking seal to one of said inner fingers to limitlongitudinal shifting thereof from its sealing position.
 4. Thestructure set forth in claim 1, including: an annular weld deposit onthe inner surface of one of said inner fingers; and one of said O-ringsbeing in sealing engagement with said weld deposit.
 5. The structure setforth in claim 4, including: means for securing one of said annularportions of said rocking seal to said annular weld deposit to limitlongitudinal movement of said seal relative to said fingers.